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I have an ipad - I looked at setting it up for "on the move" usage - obviously the fact that it has no connections other than the one proprietary plug was a major issue, so I purchased something for the ipad to sit in which afford me ways to plug other stuff, like microphones, into said iPad.

Unfortunately the piece of equipment that the iPad was to sit in, was large - in fact together, the iPad and the module were probably as large as my laptop and a lot more inconvenient.
I then started to try and use ipad - underpowered and apps a joke - in fact ipad is a toy (this was one of the original ipads)
So I keep the ipad for what I think it was intended for - I look at the news online sometimes and occasionally use it for emails, but my smart phone has really superseded it for that use. 

I think anyone who has tried an ipad know that once you look past the hype (and oh my goodness isn't there a lot of that) the ipad is just a low powered touch screen computer, that is little use for serious work, whether that be music or anything else.

So not for me but if other people want to use it great - and I'm sure over the years it will improve and improve.

What I think most people are concerned about is the fact the ipad and the ipad apps machine, offer companies a massively larger market to aim for than what our market can offer them.
The pricing model on apps is one that will also encourage  people to buy the stuff without thinking too much about it. So VERY large market plus apps pricing that encourages  improvident purchases can mean big profits.

So if software companies start to make more money selling cut down music apps, why waste time and effort on producing top quality software for use on DAWS - I would image producing intricate / complicated software for a DAW is infinitely more time consuming and difficult than producing relatively simple apps for an ipad. 
So if you make more money by doing ipad stuff, the software company may look at its bottom line and sideline their main software development for DAWs.

We have already seen this happen in a major way with IK Multimedia - unless the ipad craze stops (which I don't think it will anytime soon) I very much doubt we will see IK Multimedia dedicating enough resources to the DAW market to stay a major player - and once they start to lose market share (and sales) they will dedicate even less etc etc. The old vicious circle syndrome.

So I believe most people are concerned if other Companies follow IK Multimedia's demise.
In the past week I have had an email from Arturia announcing their entry into the ipad marketplace - even Steve from Hollow Sun is thinking about it  - the lure is strong.

Nigel

You can't really say that we have stopped making software for DAWs. Since we started releasing mobile apps and accessories we have released FAR more DAW software than we ever did before. And thats WITHOUT counting the iOS stuff. It allowed our company to grow, hire more people which in turn has helped us make tons more DAW software. (Custom Shop, ARC, StealthPlug/Pedal) iPads are great for sketching out ideas, plus you can email it to your DAW computer without connecting a cable. The simple fact you can do this now is incredible when 10 years ago it wasn't even thought of. Then factor in the growth and how fast it will advance. How many more iPad gens before we see 2-4 gb of ram? dual and quad core processors? One day the iPad will be more powerful than todays normal computers.

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Obi speaks the truth here.  It's only a matter of time before tablets are more powerful than today's typical desktop machine.  And they won't necessarily be more expensive, either.  Remember the first IBM PC?  Or Mac?  Sold for $2-3K, and that was 30 years ago.  Try running one of today's DAWs on one of those.   If I'd been told back then that such machines would one day have multiple gigs of RAM and terabyte-size hard drives, I would have laughed out loud.  No way anyone would ever need that ... :-)
 
Cheers,
Eddie
 

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We've always been the minority. That is exactly why it is so exciting to see tablets and the mobile industry growing. Not only for music production, but to see technology advancing the way it is. I could never have imagined holding a screen as thin as an iPad and getting the image quality. There are tons of people using these. We are already the minority. Again, we are the minority. The majority of people aren't rushing to go buy a new desktop. Even laptops sales are falling since the tablet has taken off. Its more about looking at it and realizing the potential - what IS currently possible instead of what isn't yet. In life I always try to look at the positive in everything. Music? Thats always a positive IMO, regardless of the platform.

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Portable and new is not always best. I have MS Office 2013 and it was obviously designed for the over priced MS Surface product. It's horrible for me to use it. I asked Microsoft if I could have an earlier version instead and they said no. So here I sit using a free app - Open Office - instead of an expensive suite I just paid for. I will never buy another MS products other than an OS. BY the way, open office rocks and I'll never go tablet for serious work.

I use Open Office too! Love it. To each their own. Can't judge a mans tools when the completed work says far more.